


Duo

by espioc



Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Dark Comedy, Drama, Fluff and Angst, Forbidden Love, M/M, Organized Crime AU, Partners in Crime, Shooting Guns, Starscream is very startscream in this with a soft spot for Wheeljack, Sticky Sexual Interfacing, Violence, semi-established relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:53:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26921695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/espioc/pseuds/espioc
Summary: Starscream and Wheeljack work for rival gangs, but after an accidental night together and a few nights after, they both come to the realization that they can do more together than with their own factions.(pretty much everything is the same except instead of a war it's organized crime)
Relationships: Starscream/Wheeljack (Transformers)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 45





	1. Neutral Territory

**Author's Note:**

> This has been sitting on the back burner for almost two years now and I finally decided I'd give the first chapter a chance. Terminology are all over the place, but I'll get into the swing of things and figure out what I want this world to be soon enough just bare with me. Hope you enjoy!

When it first happened it was almost by accident. Almost because Starscream definitely seduced him on purpose and definitely interfaced with him on purpose and definitely sucked his spike on purpose, but wasn't so sure if he'd been so eager to do so had he realized sooner which side Wheeljack was on. 

Maccadams was a neutral watering hole between the two sides and not everyone wore their badge with so much pride. Not to mention the occasional rando or tourist who wandered into the bar, unaware it was frequented by members of the two largest mobs in the city. 

That's what Starscream had assumed Wheeljack was when they first met and they had their first romp in the rent-by-the-hour hotel right above the bar. It was especially shocking to learn of Wheeljack's alignment considering Starscream wore his own badge with pride. Any other sensible autobot would have never taken up the offer to go upstairs and have a good time together. 

The fact that Wheeljack didn't seem to function like any other sensible autobot was exactly why their romps continued one week after the next. 

A cross-group frag was not unheard of. Rumor had it that the two bosses had, at one point or another, gone at it themselves. But this did not mean this sort of relationship was encouraged. No amount of relationship except for one bullet into the opposite's brain was encouraged. 

But it was just interface so no one ever said anything about it. At least not anything that would get the Bosses to pay more attention to it than anyone else did. The only reason the coupling concerned some was because of the two people involved and the frequency of their sessions. 

Once or twice a week, or really any time they were in Maccadam's at the same time, everyone would watch out of the corner of their eye as Starscream went up first and Wheeljack waited five minutes before following. 

Not to mention the occasional (much less frequent.) Sound of their coupling. The ceilings were thin and they occasionally got the room right above the bar. Starscream was not very quiet in berth, he made his satisfaction with Wheeljack's performance known. He even occasionally called out the other's name which, for anyone who had tried, was a difficult feat to achieve. 

Wheeljack managed to get Starscream moaning his name nearly every time they were together. 

Then just as quickly as it began it would end. Starscream would come back downstairs, Wheeljack would emerge ten minutes later. 

About six months into their little 'thing' it did not go unnoticed when Starscream's return following the overload started to take longer and longer. 

First it was just a few minutes. 

Then it hit the high tens. 

Until one night, much to some of the Autobot and Deception's disdain, it took an hour for the both of them to re-emerge from the hotel. Worse yet, they emerged together. Which meant either they knew how transparent they'd been and dropped the act altogether, or there was something happening between them that higher ups should know about. 

Prowl, ever the tattle tale, was the first to bring this to Optimus Prime's attention. 

“They’ve been spending a lot more time together.” Prowl said, staring at the open file in his hand. 

Optimus didn’t even look up. “Who?”

“Starscream and Wheeljack.”

Optimus sighed, putting his pen down. “Prowl-”

“I don’t see why you’re not more concerned about this.”

“They’re fragging,” Optimus picked up his pen. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

“It’s a lot more than Fragging Optimus. I’m afraid they might be talking--”

“So what? We talk all the time, especially at Maccadam’s. Stop wasting your time on this Prowl. I’m serious.”

“If you would just listen--”

Optimus finally looked up, his eyes steely and bright. Prowl dropped the issue and left for now. 

Of course Prowl was right and Wheeljack and Starscream were talking. Their conversations consisted of more than simple chat about bars and drinks and latest hits. In fact, they had little to do with the business they were both in and more to do with how good they were at what they did with very little specificity. 

Wheeljack was just finishing up his first overload, having given Starscream about three or four (it was sometimes hard to tell) when Starscream grabbed him by the back of the neck and pulled him into a deep, passionate kiss. 

Wheeljack moaned into an overload. Starscream smirked into his lips just before leaning away. 

Wheeljack pulled out and rolled over, opening his arms to let Starscream cuddle into his side. Sometimes they just laid there for a little while, other times they talked. 

Tonight they talked. 

Starscream hummed a vague tune, drawing careful circles in Wheeljack’s chest with the tip of his talon. 

“Have you thought more about my offer?” Starscream hummed. 

“I think about your offer everyday,” Wheeljack muttered. “But I still don’t think it would work. Actually, I’d say you’re lucky I haven’t told my guys about your little offer.”

Starscream chuckled, pushing himself up on an elbow so he and Wheeljack could be face to face. “Please, don’t pretend this is still just a frag.”

The hand on Starscream’s back traveled down to gently squeeze his aft. Starscream straddled Wheeljack’s lap and sat up. 

“Come on, Jackie, you know I’m right.”

“I think yer crazy. And I don’t see why we gotta ruin these moments with business talk.”

“The moments wouldn’t be ruined if you’d actually listen to me. Imagine it, our own empire, a big fuck you to the big guns, beat back by two star crossed lovers,” Starscream leaned down and rested his head on his folded arms, laying contently on Wheeljack’s chest. Starscream closed his eyes and sighed a dreamy sigh. “Heads would roll. This city would be ours.”

“I don’t kill people.”

Starscream’s eyes split open. “Minimal heads. All my doing.”

“You really killed as many people as you say?”

Starscream sat back up, supporting himself on his hands. “We’ve talked about this,” he put his finger to Wheeljack’s lip. “We don’t discuss that sort of thing. At least not until we’re in business together.”

Wheeljack’s hands wandered to Starscream’s thighs. “How am I supposed to trust a business partner who can’t even tell me how many successful hits he’s had?”

Starcream gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Because I’m a good frag.”

Wheeljack chuckled. “Well, I know that’s the truth.”

“But I don’t want to talk about sex.” Starscream’s grin became even more sinister. “I want to talk about business.”

“Do you know how hard it is to get out of the business we’re already in? Ya don’t leave these guys, ya just don’t do it. The only way yer leavin’ is with a bullet in your head. I don’t want a bullet in my head, Star.”

“That’s why we make such a good pair,” Starscream said quietly, leaning down so only Wheeljack could hear. “I take care of the people who want to kill us, you take care of the money. We’ll run this city better than either of them ever have.” 

“Who knew I’d consider going into business with a person I randomly had sex with that one time.”

Starscream’s smirk became almost sweet. He hooked his knuckle right under Wheeljack’s chin and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. 

“It’s a lot more than sex,” Starscream muttered. 

“I know,” Wheeljack muttered back, meeting Starscream’s eyes. 

“You know, if we were a duo you could take me on a real date.”

“You know that’s not true.”

“It is if we own the restaurant the date takes place in.”

“You really think the two of us are intimidating enough to do anything in this town?”

“I know one of us is.”

“You are a force to be reckoned with.”

“You’d know better than anyone.”

It had taken one month of meet ups for Starscream and Wheeljack to realize that they might want more than quick frags and decent drinks. Of course, it had taken five more months for them to actually commit to each other and drop the act when they went upstairs together. One month after that Starscream got the brilliant idea that they should go into business together. 

Not only was the love making amazing, but the conversations they started to have were riveting. Starscream was sharp and cutting, brutal and brilliant. Wheeljack might not have been much for deep analytics, but he could deconstruct a security system, build and rebuild guns like no one else, and knew every in and out of every crime syndicate in the city, including the much smaller ones run by Overlord and the Mistress of Flame. Wheeljack’s mind was truly something to be admired, and oh did Starscream admire it. 

There were even occasions when they snuck off to the hotel under the guise that they would be fragging, but really they’d spend the hours cuddled together, talking about the organization that Wheeljack was convinced they would never start. There simply weren’t enough places to hide and not nearly enough people to intimidate who weren’t already under the thumb of one of the much larger organizations. 

Still, Starscream dreamed. 

Wheeljack also dreamed, though he was much less eager to admit it. 

“You can be the getaway driver, the numbers guy, the planner, the accountant.” Starscream said. “I’ll carry the guns, collect the funds and bury the bodies.” 

Wheeljack sighed. “Can’t we just cuddle and not worry about, ya know, all this.”

Starscream pouted, leaning back down. “I’ll only continue the conversation next time.”

“And we’ll have the same conversation over and over again until one of us gives in.”

“I am very persistent.”

Wheeljack hugged him around the shoulders. “Starscream, I just wanna cuddle. Can we just do that? Please? I am tired.”

“Okay okay, fine, I’ll drop it for tonight.” Starscream gave him a kiss on the chin. “Only because I love you.”

“Aw, he loves me.”

“Don’t tell anyone. Can’t let anyone thinking I’ve gone soft.”

“Well, we know what happens to the people who claim you’ve gone soft.”

“Shush, I don’t want to talk about murder.”

“Oh now he doesn’t want to talk about murder.”

Starscream put his hand over Wheeljack’s mouth. “Shush.”

Wheeljack chuckled and closed his eyes, concentrating on Starscream’s warmth. They could not lay together for long. Neither of them were stupid, they both knew that they were on thin ice with the other members of their respective gangs. 

Starscream knew they weren’t subtle, he knew that they occasionally slipped and smiled at each other in the bar. He knew that they spent way too much time together in the room. Even some of his fellow Deceptions made fun of him for fragging an Autobot. 

None of it mattered, not to Starscream. He loved Wheeljack and he was not afraid of any of his underlings, nor was he afraid of Megatron or any Autobot. Wheeljack wasn’t like him, though. He wasn’t a terrified yes-man, but he was an Autobot through and through. He got into the business almost by accident and didn’t know how to leave it without being immediately killed. 

Starscream swore that if Wheeljack did come with him, nothing would ever harm him. Starscream would tear the city apart with his bare hands before he let Wheeljack come to harm. 

When time was up Starscream sat up. He climbed off Wheeljack’s lap and shook him by the shoulder. 

“We should go,” Starscream said. “It’s getting late.”

Wheeljack groaned, reluctantly sitting himself up. “We could just live here, ya know.”

Starscream smirked, climbing out of bed. “Someday we’ll have to have sex where there are less people with guns.” 

Starscream used to rinse off in the wash racks, but the washracks were gross and his and Wheeljack’s coupling wasn’t a secret anymore, so Starscream elected to just wait until he got home. If he walked through the bar with scuff marks between his thighs anyone who dared look for too long would get a stern knife in his eyes. 

As soon as Wheeljack was standing Starscream took him by the edge of the armour and pulled him in for a quick kiss before making his escape. 

“Forgive me if I kill any Autobots this weekend.”

“I just don’t wanna know about it.”

Starscream left the room and skipped down the steps back to the bar below where the patrons were waiting for his and Wheeljack’s inevitable return. Starscream felt so good that he had a smirk on his face. He walked proudly through that bar, between the half drunk Autobots and Decepticons, finger dents on his wings and grey marks on his thighs. 

He did not fail to notice one of his Decepticon underlings sneer and stare as he walked past, and not remove his eyes in the proper amount of time. Starscream automatically assumed he must have been a new guy. 

Starscream stopped, made eye contact with the offender, then drew his gun and pointed it at the Decepticon’s head. 

“I don’t know what you’re looking at,” Starscream purred. “I think you’d do best to put your eyes away.”

The bartender called from across the bar. “Hey! No weapons!”

Starscream’s smile dropped into a sneer as he glanced at the bartender. He removed the gun from the Decepticon’s temple and shot the glass on the table. “You’re a lucky bastard.” Then Starscream walked out, stowing his weapon in his subspace.

After that it wasn’t long before Wheeljack emerged from the upstairs. He was met with a lot more gazes, both admiration, anger and neutral, with some mechs convinced that if they looked at Wheeljack the wrong way it was equivalent to looking at Starscream the wrong way.

Starscream’s reputation as a lover was less than squeaky clean. He had killed people while in berth with them, he had seduced information out of unsuspecting businessmen (then killed them if they got too handsy) he had taken up partners for a quick frag then left them to lust after him until he got tired of their antics and sent them a message (most of the time in the form of a severed limb or other body part) which meant they could either leave him alone or end up like the last poor sap. 

But Wheeljack was different. 

Starscream had made himself exclusive. He wasn’t even fragging for a hit, or for blackmail, even if directly ordered to by Megatron himself. 

Starscream came back to Wheeljack, Starscream had even put a gun to the temple of people proposing they put out a hit on Wheeljack. 

Wheeljack was becoming Starscream’s territory in a way, and nobody messed with Starscream’s territory. 

Not that Starscream thought about it that way, he understood that Wheeljack was not his property. But he also understood that everyone else's perception of his affection for Wheeljack would keep his lover safe from harm, at least for the time being. At least until Megatron grew tired of his antics and sent out a hit on Wheeljack just to get rid of the thing that was distracting the best hit-man the Decepticons had. 

That would not happen so long as Starscream remained useful and good at his job. 

Or if he and Wheeljack started their own little crime syndicate and gained enough money and influence to protect themselves. 

Wheeljack ignored all of the eyes and left the bar. He walked home alone in the cool night air. The bar wasn’t far from either territory and Wheeljack was always packing so he wasn’t afraid to walk home alone. Usually he and Ironhide went to the bar together, but since Starscream started taking Wheeljack upstairs everytime they were together Ironhide started to dip out. 

Of course, that didn’t stop Ironhide from making comments every time Wheeljack got home late from the bar. 

Wheeljack lived in a pretty plain apartment in the vein of apartments that everyone seemed to live in. Moving into this neighborhood was how he sort of kind of accidentally ended up with the Autobots in the first place. He refused to be intimidated, promised he wouldn’t breathe a word, accidentally got shot in the leg then started doing their finances. 

How one thing led to another remained a mystery to Wheeljack but he’d been with the Autobots for a hundred years now and despite the danger everything had turned out well enough. 

When Wheeljack got home Ironhide was waiting in the livingroom to dish out the ridicule. He was cleaning his gun and watching a soap opera. 

“Oh, look at this, stud’s back.” Ironhide said as soon as Wheeljack walked through the door. 

“Shut up, ‘hide.”

“You sleep with him tonight?”

“I went to the bar, didn’t I?”

“Ya know, every night you go to that bar I’m convinced you ain’t gonna come back.”

“It’s been almost seven months.”

“Yeah but Screamer’s sneaky like that. I dunno what he wants from ya or why it’s takin’ this long, but he’s gonna want something.”

“His array ain’t that magical. I’m not one of his, ya know--” Wheeljack twirled his hand in the air looking for the right word. “Guys. Who he frags and drops but the guy is still obsessed with him. I ain’t one’a those.”

“Maybe that’s why he likes you so much.”

“Maybe my array’s the magical one.”

Wheeljack went to his room and fell into bed. He laid haphazardly across the covers for a few minutes before moving into a more comfortable position for the night. He gathered his sheet and hugged his pillow and waited for the coolness to melt into warmth. 

There was very little freedom with a cross-gang relationship. You could frag and that was it. Fragging more than once was pushing it. But Wheeljack and Starscream had committed to each other, Wheeljack wanted to share a berth with him in a nice clean apartment that they both shared. He wanted to keep his books and keep track of his hits and the news and make sure they both knew which cops were dirty and which cops were pretending to be dirty. He wanted to watch TV with Starscream and dance in their living room and count the money together and collaborate on a good place to dump a body. 

Wheeljack opened his eyes to daylight and a slight pressure in his head. 

He sat up, rubbed his eyes, and realized just how much he wanted to take up Starscream’s offer to go into business together. Not only because Starscream was right, they would make a great team, but because if they were in cahoots they could spend real time together. Have a life together. 

Sure, it was a life of crime, and probably on the run most of the time, but it would still be a life with Starscream.


	2. Ultimatum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wheeljack is very forgiving. And understands that he's dating a ruthless killing machine with trust issues.

Not long ago Wheeljack would think he was going crazy. Dreaming about a life with one of the most ruthless, deadly, remorseless Decepticon who ever lived. 

But there he was. Sitting on his bed staring out a window at a brick wall, thinking about being Starscream’s getaway driver while Starscream shot at the cops out the window. With the amount of things they’d be hauling, and just the two of them to do it, they would need additional transports. 

Maybe that would be their first investment. A transport. Their second investment would be a place to keep it (if Starscream didn’t have a spot already) then what? 

Wheeljack was tempted to write all of this down but he stopped himself. He shook away these pleasant thoughts and got out of bed. He washed up, still sticky from last night, and tried to make his way out of the apartment. As soon as he opened the bedroom door he found Ironhide leaning on the doorframe, blocking the way. 

“Got a message from Prime this morning. Who apparently got a message from Prowl, who got a message from Jazz last night.”

Wheeljack’s spark skipped a beat. Maccadam forbade anyone from wiring the hotel or the bar, but that didn’t mean something couldn’t slip past him. If anyone heard their conversation from last night--

“Optimus wants you to get intel outta Screamer.”

Wheeljack’s spark calmed, tension replaced with confusion. He furrowed his brow. “What?”

“They figured if you’re gonna spend so much time with him why not get somethin’ out of it. Something for everyone, at least.” Ironhide smirked. “We all know you’re getting your fair share.”

Wheeljack had never intentionally tried to get any info out of Starscream, anything Wheeljack was told was given up without prompting. Starscream always said that if anyone found out about the things he said he would know who spilled and just shoot Wheeljack on the spot. Wheeljack never even considered passing intel onto the Autobots, but now, with his and Starscream’s arrangement, he pretty much couldn’t. 

Wheeljack wasn’t the type of person to take advantage of someone’s feelings like that. He wasn’t naive, he knew Starscream was a ruthless bastard who could turn on anyone for any reason. But Starscream’s spark wasn’t completely black. He did care about things (in a way) one of those things being Wheeljack. 

Wheeljack said. “Ya know if I try to talk about stuff like that he’ll shoot me, right?” 

Ironhide rolled his eyes. “Come on, Jackie, we all know you two ain’t fraggin’ up there for two hours.”

“We could be. You’d be amazed at his stamina.”

“You’re the only lover he’s ever had who ain’t been dumped in the river or woke up with a severed arm in his bed.”

Wheeljack stalled for a moment. “How do you know?”

“Because he’s still fraggin you every other day.”

It appeared as though there was no way around it. Wheeljack huffed. “Fine, I’ll do my best.” He ducked under Ironhide’s arm. “But if I end up dead it’s on you.”

“I’m just the messenger.”

“Uh-huh.”

Wheeljack made himself a cube and drank it up quick. He and Ironhide were a few of the big guns who met with Optimus at the beginning of the day before being sent out on jobs. 

Ironhide slapped him on the back of the shoulder. “Come on, stud, we’re gonna be late.”

Wheeljack threw his cube in the incinerator and followed Ironhide out. Wheeljack tried to think about anything but what he would say to Starscream the next time they were together. He had to think about what he would tell Optimus because he would be seeing him in five minutes. 

Wheeljack had never been the articulate sort. Fortunately everyone knew this, so that morning when he stuttered in front of Optimus Prime no one was offended, least of all Optimus. 

Wheeljack wasn’t the sort who went around on jobs, he was a background guy. The numbers guy. The guy who made sure everything looked good on paper, the taxes were done, everyone got the money they were due and everyone who was due for a payment had made it. Wheeljack was so thorough that deaths related to skimming off the top had gone down significantly in the 100 years Wheeljack had been with them. 

Ironhide and Brawn returned from a pick up and dropped a large, slightly blood splattered duffle bag on Wheeljack’s desk. 

Wheeljack growled, flicking the blood off his hand. “‘Hide, come on.”

Ironhide wasn’t paying attention, he was still laughing with Brawn about their absolutely hilarious maiming of some guy who didn’t pay up and tried to make a run for it. 

Wheeljack assumed that he was made Ironhide’s roommate so Ironhide could keep an eye on him. Unlike Starscream, Wheeljack was pretty sure Ironhide wouldn’t hesitate to kill him if ordered to do so. Ironhide was a loyal Autobot who blindly followed the pack and quite enjoyed his work as a collector and hit man. Starscream only killed out of necessity and defied Megatron’s orders at every opportunity. Starscream had shared that one of his fantasies was being ordered to kill Wheeljack then making out with him in front of Megatron. (under circumstances where Megatron couldn’t possibly kill them, of course) 

Wheeljack picked up the soiled bag and dropped it with the rest. More blood splattered onto his foot and he cringed so hard he closed his eyes. 

Despite the business he was in and the forbidden partner he’d acquired, the whole ‘murder’ aspect of this business wasn’t something Wheeljack was fond of. He understood it was part of the job, wasn’t personal, whatever the excuse may be, but he preferred to be as far away from the blood as possible. The only time he dealt with a gun was when he was cleaning Optimus’ collection or wiping the floor with the other Autobots in a disassemble-reassemble contest. That was just about the only time he shot a gun and one of the many reasons he never went to a bar in Autobot territory. 

After counting the money, filing it away, putting it on the books and writing down who was getting what when, Wheeljack called for the bloody bags to be taken away. 

“Wheelie!” Wheeljack called. “Come ‘ere!”

Wheelie scurried into the room and hopped on the desk. “What’s the wack, Jack?”

“Wack already happened, can you take these bags to the wash?”

Wheelie saluted, leaping off the desk. “I’m on the case, straight lace.”

“Uh-huh, thanks Wheelie.”

Wheelie gathered the couple bags and hauled them away. Wheeljack did the rest of his work in peace with only his own foul mood to sour the evening. How was it that Starscream, vain, black-sparked, kill count through the roof, most feared Decepticon Starscream was more considerate of Wheeljack than the people in his own gang. Not that any of these guys were excessively sensitive, but Ironhide gave Brawn a care basket with smelly soap, oil and polish so they had no excuse not to pay attention to Wheeljack’s request not to drop blood soaked duffle bags on his desk. 

Of course, if Wheeljack was working with Starscream stuff like that would never happen. Starscream’s kills were clean, well timed, and Starscream always kept himself spick, spam and free of splatter.

Wheeljack finished up the last invoice and filed it away. He locked up his office, put the money in Optimus’ safe, and was about to leave the key ring on the desk when Optimus walked into the office. 

“Ah, Wheeljack. Just the man I wanted to see.”

Wheeljack placed the ring down. “I just locked everything up for the night,” he held out a file. “Here’s the--”

Optimus sat down at his desk. “So I heard you’ve been sleeping with Starscream.”

Wheeljack gripped the file tighter. “If I confirm that rumor, is it gonna be a problem?”

“It’s not much of a rumor, everyone knows you're sleeping with him.”

Wheeljack placed the file on the desk. “So that’s a no.”

“Not unless you’re sharing valuable information with him, but you’re not stupid so I don’t think you’d do that.”

No one said anything for a second. Optimus sat there, looking somewhat maniacal but also completely neutral. Wheeljack looked one way, then back to Optimus. 

Wheeljack squinted. “Soooo--?”

“So you’re just about the only lover he hasn’t killed or seriously injured, or even threatened as far as we’re concerned. We suspect he might even care for you, that’s a powerful thing to have. I trust you got my message this morning.”

“I did. But, uh, ya know this aint my digs. We just frag we don’t talk.”

Optimus sat forward and collected the work on his desk. “A few people seem to think you do.” He folded his hands on his desk. “I’m much more lenient than Megatron, but I don’t like my men sleeping with the enemy so frequently. I don’t care that much but my people seem to be getting concerned.” He tilted his head. “So I’m giving you an ultimatum.” 

“An ultimatum--?”

“Next time you’re together-- and I will know the next time you’re together-- if you don’t come back with anything useful then you’ll have to stop seeing him.”

“What--?”

“Am I understood, Wheeljack?”

Wheeljack opened and closed his mouth behind his mask. 

“Wheeljack?”

“Yes.” Wheeljack stuttered out. “Yes sir, I understand.”

“Good.” Optimus flicked his hand. “You can go.”

Wheeljack showed himself out. As soon as he was in the street he considered going to the bar. Maybe Starscream was there. Maybe they could talk, discuss more of their plans that probably wouldn’t come true. 

Wheeljack sighed, kicking a rock across the pavement. He didn’t have a destination. He didn’t want to go home, he didn’t want to go to an Autobot bar, he didn’t want to try and get useful information out of Starscream if they ended up meeting up. 

But he did want to see Starscream. 

So he went to the bar. 

He flipped into vehicle mode and drove through the almost empty streets. When he reached Maccadam’s it was almost vacant with only a few Autobots and Decepticons on either side. None of them even looked up from their drinks. 

Wheeljack took his usual seat at the bar. Starscream wasn’t there, at least not yet. Sometimes he didn’t get there until pretty late. Sometimes Wheeljack stayed until the bar closed, hoping he’d show up. 

This was all they had. This was the only way to contact each other that existed. Comms were off the table, as was any other form of communication. Fragging the enemy was one thing but actively communicating with him was a whole other ball game. 

Wheeljack had three drinks before he considered giving up. He was tired, there was still a little bit of blood on him, most of the people were gone and he was just about ready to lay his head down and go to sleep and start the cycle over tomorrow. 

“Well, don’t you look like a stud.”

Wheeljack cycled his optics and sat up a little straighter. He knew that voice anywhere. 

Wheeljack abandoned his drink and twisted around. “You wanna find out?” He asked. 

Starscream smirked. “I’ll see you upstairs,” he whispered. 

Wheeljack didn’t even wait, as soon as Starscream hit the hotel door Wheeljack was following. Starscream stayed a few paces ahead. He paid for a room for three hours and barely had the door closed when Wheeljack finally caught up. 

As soon as they were together Wheeljack grabbed Starscream by the waist, pulled him close and started to kiss any part of his face he could reach. 

“Touchy,” Starscream said. “And desperate. Are you feeling alright?”

“No, I feel like shit. I sat at a stupid desk for hours and Ironhide splatered me with some dead guy’s blood and got it all over the money and I am so over this stupid gig.”

Starscream sneered. “Idiots.” He put his hand on Wheeljack’s arm but quickly pulled away. “Ew, there’s still blood on you.”

Wheeljack let go. “Oh I forgot. Sorry.”

“Lets clean you up.”

Starscream dragged Wheeljack to the nasty bathroom, wet a cloth and helped Wheeljack wipe off the blood. 

“Cheap, stupid cloth,” Starscream groused, rubbing at purple stained plating. 

“Kinda sick of this place, huh?” Wheeljack muttered mostly to himself. 

“It’s gross, it’s small, half the lights are out--” Starscream threw the wet cloth on the floor and replaced it with a dry one. “If we owned a hotel ours would be clean and pristine and always have good towels.”

“And we’d always have a suit where we could sneak off to and do whatever we wanted in.”

Starscream’s wiping slowed. “You know, we could always go somewhere nicer right now.” He shrugged. “Nothing is really stopping us.”

“Nothing besides our guys having every hotel within range surrounded and wired out the wazoo.”

“No one said we had to stay within range.”

Starscream finished washing the blood off and stood up. Wheeljack grabbed one of the discarded wet cloths from the floor and did a quick swipe of his pede. 

“Whataya mean?”

“I mean--” Starscream ran his finger up Wheeljack’s thigh. “We could always go one city over, make a reservation at a nice place and spend the night.”

As absolutely wonderful as that sounded, there was no way they could do it. “No way we’ll make it there without anyone seeing.”

“Oh come on, two smart mechs like us? I bet we could find a way.”

“I dunno if it’s a risk we can really take.”

Starscream put both hands on Wheeljack’s thighs. “Come on, Jackie, we’re both packing. We’re both smart. I’ve snuck way more past Megatron than a forbidden lover.”

“I ain’t as good at this as you are.”

“Just imagine it,” Starscream purred. “Sparkling high grade, sweet goodies,” he bit his lip. “Making love to me on a soft, clean berth, or in the shower, or against the wall, or any other surface we can find.”

Wheeljack’s legs opened a little wider. “Come on, Star, don’t tempt me.”

“I’ll pay, all in cash so they can’t trace it.”

“What? The Decepticons don’t keep track of their serial numbers?”

“Probably not as well as you do for the Autobots.”

Wheeljack shuddered when Starscream’s wandering hands wandered just a tad closer to his panel. 

“So?” Starscream purred. “Whataya say?”

Wheeljack couldn’t resist. “How are we gonna do it?”

A smirk slid onto Starscream’s face. 

The plan was to go in opposite directions. Starscream would take the long way around, Wheeljack would take the short way, avoiding anyone’s territory and going around in circles until anyone who was following him got tired of doing so. He would take back roads and leave his lights off half the time. 

The next city was two hours away but that didn’t matter to either of them. Starscream just flew high in the sky so no one could possibly find him and got to the hotel in less than an hour. Wheeljack arrived with no tails an hour later. As far as he could tell no one saw him and now he was two hours away so no one who mattered could see him. 

The part of the city they were in was dense, well lit and crowded with people, a far cry from the neighborhoods they controlled in their own territory. This was the type of place Optimus and Megatron hung out with the big boys and never invited the underlings to take great part in. Wheeljack had only ever been to one of the Autobot’s big celebrations, the birth of Arcee and Aileron’s baby. Now that was a party. 

Since then there hadn’t been any weddings, births, milestone creation days, or really anything else that would prompt such a large, lavish celebration. 

Wheeljack was paid well and given a good, clean apartment, but he knew he didn’t get anywhere near as much as Ironhide and the rest of Optimus Prime’s big guys, despite being one of Optimus Prime’s chosen few himself. 

The hotel Starsream picked was big, nice, clean and everything he wanted in the hotel he planned on owning someday with his lover. Wheeljack met Starscream at the hotel’s bar and didn’t even both playing their usual game. Starscream dragged him up to the suite and threw him into the shower. 

“You need a wash.”

“Yeah, I’ve been skipping. Ironhide left blood stains in the bathroom and refused to clean them up.”

“We can’t frag until you smell a little better.”

Wheeljack wiggled his brow. “Ya know, this thing is big enough for the both of us.”

Starscream put his hand on his chest and smirked. “I smell fine, thank you.”

"Maybe later then."

Starscream hung out in the washroom while Wheeljack showered. For a little while Wheeljack was concerned that he might smell too good when he got back and the Autobots would think something was up. 

Then he remembered the Autobot's never paid a lick of attention to him so Wheeljack quickly extinguished that thought. 

Starscream eventually left the washroom. Wheeljack almost missed his company, but they would be spending the night together so they had plenty of time to be in close proximity. 

Wheeljack stepped out into the suit still dripping, towel wrapped around his neck. Starscream was seated on the edge of the bed, leaning back on his hands, long, attractive legs crossed over one another. 

"All clean?" 

"Yup." Wheeljack threw the towel back into the washroom and approached the berth. He placed his hands on Starscream's thigh, ready to part those enticing legs. 

He didn't get very far before Starscream put his hand in his shoulder and said. "Wait." 

Wheeljack paused, meeting Starscream's eyes. Starscream hooked his knuckle under Wheeljack's chin and smirked. "You can't jump right into it without treating me to dinner first. What do you take me for? A cheap piece?" 

Wheeljack knelt down and rested his head in Starscream's lap. "Do you wanna order room service or go down to the bar?" 

Starscream ran a careful talon over Wheeljack's finial. "Room service. We can have our own private party." 

Wheeljack furrowed his brow. "How we gonna order room service without a card on file?"

Starscream produced a black credit card from his subspace. "We have one. It belongs to the late great Senator Flipswitch."

Wheeljack nodded. "Ah. One'a yours?" 

Starscream closed the card in his fist. "No, one of Vortex's. I stole the card off him last night." He shrugged. "No one's found the body yet so the account is still open."

Wheeljack lifted his head. "Vortex killed a senator?" 

Starscream rolled his eyes. "Not on purpose. So he claims. Apparently they were having a good time together and the senator got a little too handsy." 

"Too handsy with Vortex? Flipswitch must have really fucked up."

"M-hmmmm." Starscream twirled his hand in the air. "It's a whole mess now, Megatron is trying to clean it up the best he can. Make it look like an accident or a suicide, whatever it may be." 

Wheeljack nodded, sitting up. "So am I ordering or are you?" 

"Oh definitely not me. This is all you."

Starscream's voice was extremely recognizable but Wheeljack couldn't imagine someone all the way over here would recognize it. 

Then again Starscream truly did have enemies everywhere so Wheeljack couldn't blame him for being cautious.

Wheeljack got off the floor and went to the phone on the nightstand. He didn’t bother trying to find a menu, they had unlimited funds and a long night ahead. He ordered one of everything on the menu and two bottles of sparkling high grade. 

When the order was placed Wheeljack put the phone down and spread out his arms. “Ordered.”

Starscream grabbed him by the collar and dragged him into the bed. “Let’s get in a quickie before they get here.”

Wheeljack wasn’t good at quickies but he did his best. Starscream laughed almost the whole time before he moaned into an overload. 

“Why are you so bad at overloading?” Starscream muttered. 

Wheeljack shrugged. “I dunno.” He pulled out and rolled over. “I never really thought about it.”

Starscream hooked his heel over Wheeljack’s leg and rolled over so they were pressed together. Starscream hummed, snuggling into Wheljack’s side. “Wake me when the food gets here.”

“Does this count as a proper date?”

“Almost.”

“Aw, come on.”

“A proper date involves being out in public. Or semi-public.”

“I dunno about that.”

“Shush, I’m trying to sleep.”

Wheeljack let him go for the time being. He laid there staring at the ceiling, trying his best not to think too hard about the implications of this night, or how it could go horribly wrong in the morning. No doubt Ironhide would try to contact him at some point during the night. Wheeljack obviously didn’t tell anyone where he would be and who he would be with. Unfortunately he didn’t have any additional alibis so he’d have to come clean somehow and make a really good excuse. 

When room service arrived Wheeljack carefully extracted himself from Starscream’s arms and accepted all of the plates of food. The suite was spacious with a large bed, a small dining area, a small living area and a small kitchen. While Wheeljack was setting everything up Starscream began to stir. He hummed and shifted, spreading himself out on the berth. 

“I wish my bed was this big.” He grumbled. 

Wheeljack crawled over him and gave him a brief kiss on the lips. “Dinner’s here.”

Starscream’s eyes were dim, his smile soft. He reached up and brushed a bit of dust off of Wheeljack’s cheek. 

“Wheeljack?”

“Yeah?”

“Tell me why I love you so much.”

Wheeljack put his finger to his lips. “Shh, don’t let people hear you say you love something.”

Starscream smiled. “Just between us.”

“Ya know, I’m still terrified but I am happy that we did this.”

“Imagine if we could do this every night.”

“I imagine it more than I care to admit.”

“Dinner is getting cold.”

Wheeljack climbed off the bed. Starscream followed. He took a seat at the table and watched with glazed over eyes and Wheeljack popped a bottle of sparkling high grade and served the food. 

“What did you get?” Starscream asked, looking at the schmorgus board in front of him. 

Wheeljack shrugged, filling the glasses. “One of everything.”

“I love how you play it safe.”

Wheeljack shrugged, taking his seat. “Not that safe. I am dating you.”

Starscream smirked. “There is that.”

They made a toast to themselves and clinked glasses. Starscream hummed, surveying his options. “I haven’t eaten like this in ages.”

“Really? I would think you eat like this every night.”

Starscream barked a humorless laugh. “I wish. Megatron doesn’t pay me nearly enough to afford something like this. The best I can afford is clean energon.”

Wheeljack furrowed his brow. “Really?”

Starscream nodded. “But I have a stockpile of dead guy’s credit cards so I do well enough.”

“Ain’t you the best guy the Decepticon’s have? I mean, you never missed a kill, right?”

Starscream took a sip of his drink. “Not one.”

“I thought you were one’a the big guys.”

“I am.”

“But--”

“Wheeljack, I’m here to eat a nice dinner, make passionate love to you, and discuss where our first hideout will be. Not talk about how the Decepticons treat me.”

Wheeljack cut into his alloygator tail. “Okay, I’m sorry.”

They ate in silence for the most part, Starscream not even bothering to use words when he asked to have his drink refilled. Much to Wheeljack’s surprise, Starscream ended up eating more than half of what they’d gotten. For one mech it was quite a bit of food, and a subtle indication of how the Decepticons treated their top hit man. 

Wheeljack, of course, didn’t press the issue, but kept it at the back of his mind. 

As soon as Starscream finished off his last glass of high grade he rose from his seat and placed himself in Wheeljack’s lap.

“Now we can frag.” Starscream said. 

Wheeljack rubbed his hands over Starscream’s thighs. “Right here?”

“I said every available surface, didn’t I?”

Wheeljack’s spike sprung from its housing. “You sure did.”

Still properly lubricated from their earlier quickie, Starscream made short work of opening his panel and sinking down onto the enticing spike below him. He hummed as he sank tantalizingly slow. Waves of pleasure rushed through both of them as each ridge snapped past the flexible valve ring. 

Starscream closed his eyes and released a shuddering breath, hugging Wheeljack’s head to his chest. Wheeljack reached all the way back and squeezed Starscream’s aft with both hands. 

Starscream set the place, slow at first, then speeding up the closer he got to overload. As the tension grew, his grip on Wheeljack became tighter and tighter. 

“Primus, Jackie,” Starscream vented. He sighed into overload, his head going limp on top of Wheeljack’s, but his hips never stopping. 

After another minute, Wheeljack clamped his arms around Starscream’s waist, and held him in place. Wheeljack bucked twice before hilting himself deep in Starscream’s valve and moaning into an overload. 

Starscream hummed, slowly opening his eyes. He moved his hips in a circle, reveling in the sensation of warm transfluid. 

“I like when you do that,” Starscream purred, leaning down for a slow, lazy kiss. He pulled away and looked Wheeljack in the eye. “Lets see how many times you can do it.”

They did it on the table, against a wall, against a different wall, on the balcony, in the shower and on the floor before finally making their way to the bed. 

By then Wheeljack was all but exhausted and Starscream was blissfully limp, his ecstacy shared in soft moans and twitches, the smile never leaving his face. His arms hung lazily over Wheeljack's neck. 

Wheeljack's thrusts were languid, his kisses lingering and slow on the side of Starscream's neck. Sometimes Starscream liked to be ruined, and sometimes he just wanted to sleep. 

Wheeljack was genuinely surprised they'd both lasted this long. 

Maybe it was just because they had this long to last. 

Starscream gasped quietly into overload, squeezing Wheeljack's hips between his knees. Wheeljack came seconds after. He fell limp on top of Starscream, both of their energies spent. 

"We should really shower." Wheeljack grumbled. "We are so sticky." 

Starscream did not respond, he was already asleep. 

Wheeljack sat up and dislodged himself. He shuffled to the washroom and briefly wiped himself down before returning to bed. By then Starscream had closed up and rolled into his side. 

Wheeljack laid down on his back. As soon as he was within range, Starscream reached for him, cuddling up against his side. Wheeljack turned out the lamp and went to sleep. 

There was a buzzing in his subspace. Wheeljack's eyes split open into darkness, and for a few seconds the buzzing stopped. 

Then started again. 

Wheeljack carefully made a grab for the phone in his subspace. All the while keeping a close eye on Starscream to make sure he wasn't jostled. 

Wheeljack answered the phone without even seeing who it was. 

"What?" He whispered harshly. 

Ironhide's signature drawl came through the phone. "Where the hell are you."

Wheeljack glanced at Starscream, debating a lie. "I'm with Starscream."

There was a pause. Then. "Where. Guys at the bar said you spent five minutes with 'im and took off. Now where are you?"

"I set him up in some fancy digs, alright? I'm doin' what you asked."

"I don't trust like that, Jackie. I don't trust a man who don't come home after sleeping with the enemy."

"You think this is easy? You think this shit you're making me do is easy? It takes finessing, I'm doin' all I can not to get my brains blown out, alright? I'll be home in the morning with the info Prime asked for--"

There was a click in Wheeljack's ear. 

Something cold pressed against the side of his head. 

"I'm gonna have ta call you back." 

Wheeljack hung up. He dropped the phone right off the berth and held his hands where Starscream could see them. Starscream climbed into his lap and turned on the lamp beside the bed so they could both see the gun pointed between Wheeljack's eyes. 

"Wheeljack," Starscream purred. "I hope you have a good excuse for everything you just said." He turned the safety off. "You have five seconds--" 

"The Autobot's said I couldn't see you again if I didn't start trying to get information out of you and I was gonna tell you that after sex but you fell asleep." 

Starscream raised a skeptical brow, but there was a different look in his eye. "Why should I believe you."

"Listen, Star, you know me. I run the books and count the money, I don't play long games with people, it ain't in my job description." 

Starscream pressed the gun into Wheeljack's head. "But you could."

"Think about all the stuff you've told me that I coulda told my guys a dozen times over. I ain't breathed a word, you really think I care enough about this business to put my life in danger like that? I'm pretending to do it so they don't take you away from me."

Starscream squinted, his chin scrunching with his lip. Wheeljack detected the faintest tremble in Starscream's features. 

Starscream's finger flexed on the trigger. He moved the gun aside and shot into the bed. 

For a few seconds no one moved. Wheeljack carefully moved his hands down and pushed himself so he was sitting up.

Starscream threw his arms out and wrapped them around Wheeljack’s head, gun still in hand. 

Starscream squeezed his eyes shut. "Oh, I'm so glad I don't have to kill you. I don't know how I could have gone on." He shrugged. "I mean, I would have been fine, but I'd be very torn up about it for a long time." 

Wheeljack wrapped his arms around Starscream's waist, reciprocating the hug. 

Starscream pulled away and held Wheeljack by the face. "Forgive me for almost killing you?" 

"I forgive you, but I do got one question."

"Hm?" 

"Not that it'll ever happen, but you wouldn't kill me if I broke up with you, would you?" 

Starscream frowned. "No, of course not. I don't kill people over petty things, only manipulation and betrayal."

"Okay good to know. 'Cause, ya know, I dunno if I could be with someone who would threaten to kill me if I broke up with him."

Starscream scoffed. "I'm not one of those." He tucked his gun back in his subspace. "Now," he smirked. "About that information.”

“I don’t need much,” Wheeljack said immediately. “But Prime gave me an ultimatum.”

“Which was?”

“Get intel outta you or stop seeing you.”

“Oooooh, we can’t have that.”

Wheeljack ran a hand up Starscream’s thigh. “But ya know, I did have another thought.”

Starscream put his hand over Wheeljack’s. “Oh?”

Wheeljack tilted his head. “We could always--” he shrugged. “Ya know.” He looked at Starscream. “Go into business together.”

Starscream’s wings fluttered, his entire demeanor brightening. “Really?”

“I’m sick of this business,” Wheeljack shook his head. “I swear, I do all I can for these guys and I don’t get an ounce of respect. They think I’m a joke,” He pressed his head into Starscream’s abdomen. “Well, maybe I am a joke, but I’m the joke who does their taxes and makes sure no one skims.”

Starscream bowed and rested his head in the center of Wheeljack’s back. “They don’t deserve you. Just like the Decepticons don’t deserve me.”

Starscream sat up and placed his hands on Wheeljack’s shoulders to gently prompt him to do the same. 

“The Decepticons are bringing in a shipment of botched simultronics to sell to unsuspecting bar owners in our territory. After getting screwed by the simultronics the users will flock to the clinics for circuit speeders which come in on a four part shipping system. We make over 100,000 a week with this operation.”

Wheeljack turned his face up. “Why are you telling me this?”

Starscream smiled. He cupped Wheeljack’s face in his hands. “Because as much as I want to go into business with you, there’s a lot that needs to be worked out beforehand. We have to ease into it, not dive. For a little while we’ll have to pretend as if we’re still loyal to our factions.”

“This won’t give you away?”

“Megatron already knows I’m getting busy with the enemy. As long as I keep delivering, he won’t try to kill me. There’s a hundred other ways you could have gotten that information, we’re not even subtle about it.”

Wheeljack laid back down and closed his eyes. “Okay.”

Starscream laid on top of him but kept his head up. “But we should still think about the kind of business we want to go into. Intimidation? Drugs? Money laundering? Counterfeiting? What?”

“Gambling.” Wheeljack grumbled. 

Starscream’s wing twitched. “What?”

“Gambling.” Wheeljack opened his eyes. “I wanna run a bar, a restaurant, and an illegal gambling ring. Or a legal one, who knows.”

“Gambling,” Starscream repeated the word slowly. “I can get behind that.”

“And blackmail, of course.”

“Of course. But I don’t want to sleep with anyone.”

Wheeljack frowned. “Why would you sleep with anyone?”

Starscream sat up so they were looking at each other. “That’s how Megatron gets a lot of blackmail,” he twirled his hand and rolled his eyes. “He orders me to seduce someone, I take some sort of evidence of the coupling, and use it against them for political or financial favors.”

Wheeljack cringed. “Ew.”

Starscream tilted his head. “What?”

“You can’t order someone to seduce someone. That’s gross.”

Starscream shrugged. “I refuse when I want to. Or when he doesn’t threaten to beat me to a bloody pulp if I don’t do it.”

Wheeljack grumbled to himself. “Wish someone would beat him to a bloody pulp.”

Starscream chuckled, laying back down. “I do too."

Wheeljack drifted back to sleep, unsure how much longer they had to spend together. There were no days off for them, at some point they would have to return to the city. 

Unfortunately this happened much sooner that Wheeljack had anticipated. 

At around four in the morning, after only two hours of sleep, Wheeljack was roused from his slumber by Starscream's voice and a gentle shake. 

"We have to go."

And just like that, the fantasy was over.

Wheeljack sat up and rubbed his sore eyes, squinting to get a good look at Starscream in the dark. Without knowing what he was reaching for, Wheeljack reached out, leaned forward, and kissed whatever part of Starscream's plating he could get his lips on. Starscream took him under the chin and moved him into a kiss before they were forced to vacate the bed. 

At the door, they held each other for longer than they should have. And when Starscream leaned down to kiss him goodbye, neither of them wanted to let go. 

That kiss could have lasted forever. 

For a moment it felt like it might. 

But they pulled away, lingering against each other's lips for fleeting seconds, then separating completely. 

Outside the room, they went in opposite directions. Wheeljack took the short way back to the city, Starscream took the long way. 

Before reaching his neighborhood, where the people had yet to rise and the businesses were preparing to open, Starscream touched down and started to walk. He kept close to the buildings, peaked behind every corner before crossing an ally, and didn't make eye contact with any of the stray bots laying about. 

The closer he got to home, the worse the cracks in the sidewalks. Most of the building were abandoned, besides the illegal happenings within them. The neon signs of a club buzzed, twitching on and off, patrons occasionally spilled out whether because they were forced to do so, or just done with their business. 

The convenient store just below Starscream's apartment was as well lit as ever. Most if the bricks were broken or chipped, the metal bars on the windows rusted and bent out of shape. It was the last building on the block, beside it an empty lot full of gravel of building debris from something they tore down ages ago, but never bothered to build anything over. 

Starscream went around the side of his building and used a key to get inside. 

There were two tiny apartments in the whole place, and eighteen residents. 

Starscream snuck into the top apartment. Seven people were tucked in the living room, one in the bedroom that was hardly suited for one. Starscream tiptoed around the twitching wings and shifting bodies, and made his way to the bedroom. 

There was little more than a mattress, with whoever got it first getting the right to it. 

Starscream stole one of the blankets off the lucky bot, and laid down on the floor. There was just enough space between the wall and the mattress for him to fit if he laid on his front. 

He fell asleep, thinking about sleeping beside his lover every night. In a bed big enough for the both of them.


End file.
